Anne Willan Releases Country Cooking Of France

"This very complex, extensive, and beautiful book with well-known recipes and stunning photography is proof that there is always something more to learn about the cuisine of France, even for a French-trained professional chef."
JACQUES PEPIN Chef, Cookbook Author, and PBS-TV Cooking Series Host


"Why is the country cooking of France so compelling?" That's the question award-winning author Anne Willan ponders again and again. The founder of the acclaimed La Varenne Cooking School says the answer lies in the terroir of its regions-the fresh produce, specialty foods, and unique culinary culture of each area which give rise to nuanced and traditional favorites like Soupe au Pistou and Le Vrai Coq au Vin.

In her latest cookbook, THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE (Chronicle Books; October 2007; Hardcover/$50.00), Anne Willan brings the intoxicating flavors and aromas of France right to home kitchens. Drawing on her years of experience writing about cooking and her hands-on expertise combined with extensive research and a deep appreciation of French food, she has created the definitive French country cooking cookbook.

THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE provides easy-to-follow instructions for preparing delicious dishes while demystifying the art of cooking authentic French country food in over 200 mouth-watering recipes. Dishes are organized into chapters by dish or food group such as Soups-The Staff of Life, Indispensable Eggs & Cheese, Favorite Fish Stews, Rustic Sauces, Prime Poultry, and The Best of Beef, Lamb, & Veal; and, it wouldn't be a French cookbook without dessert. Recipes include:

 Pumpkin and Leek Soup with Foie Gras
 Marinated Goat Cheese Salad
 Roast Monkfish with Herb Butter
 Roast Salmon with Bacon and Horseradish Cream
 Bouillabaisse
 Duck Breast with Cherries
 Beef Stew with Vegetables and Olives
 Roast Rabbit with Mustard
 Baked Eggs with Ratatouille
 Spice Bread Ice Cream
 Normandy Pear Tart with Almond Filling

Sprinkled throughout THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE are intriguing historical tidbits about individual regions and stories about the people who make French food so irresistible. Plus, more than 200 gorgeous photos of food markets, villages, harbors, fields, and homes make this a book as beautiful to look at as to cook from.

Using ingredients you can find at just about any supermarket or farmers' market, Willan offers healthy and deeply satisfying recipes. No matter where your readers live, they, too, will be enchanted by the simple delights of cooking delicious French cuisine, and captured by the vitality of stunningly beautiful full-color photography by France Ruffenach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anne Willan has more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, cookbook author, culinary historian and food columnist. She has written more than two dozen books, including the influential La Varenne Pratique and the 17 volume, photo-illustrated Look and Cook series. With books published in two dozen countries and translated in 24 languages, Anne is the most internationally renowned of today's cooking authorities. Other recent works include Quick Fixes and Kitchen Tips (2005) and The Good Cook (2004). Currently, Anne is working on a history of cookbooks based on the antiquarian cookbook collection she and her husband, Mark Cherniavsky, have gathered (to be published by the University of California Press in 2009). She also writes a food column for the Tribune Media Services International food syndicate.
Anne was honored in 1995 both as Grande Dame of Les Dames d'Escoffier International